O.C. candidates step up fundraising in major state races

Candidates in Orange County’s most competitive races for state Senate and Assembly seats raised hundreds of thousands of dollars last year, according to campaign finance reports filed with the California Secretary of State’s Office. Candidates had a midnight Monday deadline to file the reports.

Irvine mayor leads Assembly District 68 fundraising

Irvine Mayor Steven Choi raised $157,971 in monetary contributions in 2015, leading three other candidates in the running for the 68th Assembly District seat held by Donald Wagner, who will be termed out this year.

Choi also received $4,105 in non-monetary contributions and personally loaned his campaign $50,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports, which run through Dec. 31, 2015.

Choi lost to Wagner in the 2010 Republican primary for the 70th Assembly District.

Former Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu raised $92,874 in monetary contributions last year, as well as $3,545 in non-monetary contributions, records show. He has loaned his campaign $100,000. He has the most cash in his war chest at $234,280, because he began raising money at the end of 2014.

Alexia Deligianni-Brydges, an Orange Unified School District board member, raised $4,101 and loaned her campaign $40,000.

Former Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly, who announced her candidacy in July, hadn’t filed her campaign finance documents as of Tuesday, according to the Secretary of State’s website. Those who raise under $25,000 don’t qualify for e-filing.

All four candidates are Republicans, which have a 15-point advantage in voter registration in the 68th Assembly District. The district encompasses Anaheim, Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Villa Park and Lake Forest and surrounding unincorporated communities.

– Tomoya Shimura

Chen leads in race for open seat

Four Republican hopefuls have been raising campaign funds for the Assembly District 55 race, which is without an incumbent after Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang, R-Diamond Bar, announced her 2016 run for senate.

In Orange County, the district includes parts of Brea, La Habra, Placentia and Yorba Linda.

Chen, a Walnut Valley Unified School District board member, raised the most money last year, $141,555, and started 2016 with that amount in cash on hand, according to state filings.

Tye entered the new year with $24,000 on hand, after raising $35,902 in contributions in 2015.

Spence raised $8,300in the last year, according to his treasurer, John Fugatt. His financial and intent to run paperwork weren’t online as of Tuesday afternoon. Marquez raised $3,950 in the last year.

The district – which also includes parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties – leans right, with 39 percent registered Republican, 31 percent as Democrat and 26 percent declining to state, state records show.

In June 2014, Chang took the majority of the vote, with 28.7 percent.

– Joanna Clay

2 Democrats, 1 Republican in tight money contest

With Diamond Bar Republican Bob Huff termed out of the California Senate District 29 seat in North County, three candidates have raised funds in preparation for the election race.

Former Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang, who moved into the district last year, raised $363,062 in 2015, finance reports show. Headed into 2016, the Democrat reported $253,348 cash on hand.

Republican Ling Ling Chang, elected to the Assembly in 2014, is also vying for the Senate seat. In 2015 she raised $474,452 in campaign contributions and reported ending the year with $428,374 cash on hand.

Chang was encouraged to make the Senate run by Republican leaders, who have said they are concerned the GOP could lose the seat and believed the assemblywoman was the strongest option.

A second Democrat, Josh Newman, raised $101,442 in 2015 and had $69,168 at the end of the year. Newman runs an organization that helps vets find jobs.

The district covers portions of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties. In Orange County, the district includes Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Placentia, Stanton and Yorba Linda.

– Denisse Salazar

Kim, Quirk-Silva raise cash for rematch

Incumbent Young Kim is being challenged by Sharon Quirk-Silva in a re-match of the 2014 Assembly District 65 race in North County, when Kim unseated Quirk-Silva.

Kim raised $611,000 in campaign contributions in 2015, with almost $489,000 cash on hand going into the new year, according to filings with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Quirk-Silva reported $213,000 in contributions during 2014, with $175,000 cash on hand at the end of the year.

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